Divisional pride was on the line, and this game would serve as a litmus test of both their rivalry and of the Jets’ season. Dan Marino led an unlikely comeback from an initial 24-6 deficit with his signature fake spike play to score a winning touchdown touchdown and take home divisional bragging rights for himself and the Jets.
Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon gave impressive running performances while the defense dominated time of possession in the New York Jets Vs Miami Dolphins Match Player Stats.
| Date | Match | Result | Key Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 7, 2025 | Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets | Dolphins 34–10 Jets | Miami dominated with strong defense; limited Jets offense and controlled possession |
| Sep 29, 2025 | Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets | Dolphins 27–21 Jets | Close game; late TD attempt by Jets but Miami held on |
| Jan 5, 2025 | New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins | Jets 32–20 Dolphins | Jets offense excelled; strong passing performance secured win (ESPN.com) |
| Dec 8, 2024 | Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets | Dolphins 32–26 Jets (OT) | Overtime thriller; Dolphins edged out Jets in high-scoring game |
| Dec 17, 2023 | Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets | Dolphins 30–0 Jets | Dominant shutout win by Miami with elite defensive display |
Offense
The Miami Dolphins outscored the New York Jets 34-10 at MetLife Stadium with three touchdown runs by running back Kenyan Drake and using their dominant defense to hold off an aggressive offense, led by rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa who quickly warmed up before throwing for one himself as Miami improved to 8-0 against their archrival.
The ‘Fins scored on their initial two possessions, with Tagovailoa connecting with wide receiver Jaylen Waddle for a 3-yard TD pass and DeVon Achane running 13 yards for another score.
Following an unsuccessful three-and-out by the Jets, linebacker Tyrel Dodson picked off quarterback Tyrod Taylor when his pass hit off of his hand and into Tyrel Dodson’s hands before initially being ruled an incompletion but later being overturned after review and gave possession at New York 29; six plays later Jaylen Wright punched it home from 2 yards out to make it 21-0.
After halftime, Tagovailoa completed two passes that went for 57 yards – to Davone Bess of Wide Receiver Davone Bess and 40 yards to Tight End Darren Waller respectively – before Achane ran 7 yards for another touchdown from Achane himself.
Wright and rookie running back Ollie Gordon II both also contributed on the ground, each scoring once before going back into their respective locker rooms for more playmakers to join in scoring their own scores from 7 yards out.
Special teams helped New York come back into the game during the third quarter. First, WR/PR Isaiah Williams returned a kickoff 78 yards for a touchdown and then New York Jets PK Nick Folk hit a 31-yard field goal to close within seven points of victory.
However, Miami sealed their win late in the fourth quarter as Jordyn Brooks, Zach Sieler and Rasul Douglas all recorded sacks for Miami LB Jordyn Brooks recorded one sack per quarter and held New York to just one first down while winning time of possession by over 12 minutes – eliminating their playoff hopes and marking 15 straight seasons without qualifying for postseason play despite entering tied with Buffalo Bills for one wildcard spot in AFC; Miami stands 6-7 overall this year while 2-6 away.
Defense
New York was hoping to end its 15-year playoff drought, but Miami had other plans. Tua Tagovailoa kept his unblemished record against AFC East opponents Miami ran for three touchdowns while their defense shut down an ineffective offense to give the Dolphins a 34-10 victory.
Isaiah Williams’ 78-yard punt return for a touchdown gave the Jets hope early, but they never found much momentum. Jaylen Waddle’s three-yard TD run put the Dolphins up 14-0 early in the second quarter before increasing it further with an 8-play, 67-yard drive capped off by De’Von Achane’s 13-yard rushing score to make their lead 21-0 by halftime.
Defense was still dominating in the fourth quarter for the Jets. Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu made an important fourth-down sack of Josh Cook while cornerback Rasul Douglas intercepted quarterback Bryce Petty shortly thereafter to put an end to any hope for an upset comeback attempt by New York.
In the closing minutes, RB Mikey Henderson’s fumble set up kicker Dan Carpenter for a game-winning field goal from 33 yards. Overall, the Dolphins outgained their counterparts 358 to 207 in yardage while controlling time of possession by over 12 minutes.
Advanced defensive stats attempt to measure player value in context-neutral ways, taking into account not just how good or bad a defender is but also their performance within their role assigned by their team. This concept may be difficult for non-NFL fans to grasp.
As with any statistics, there will always be some measure of error when measuring defensive stats. Video scouts cannot accurately pinpoint every batted ball from game tape; as a result, defensive metrics such as tackles for loss and pass deflections will vary in accuracy from one season to the next; yet these statistics provide a useful snapshot of defensive performance in an effort to better comprehend underlying data; adding up these statistics provides you with a rough estimation of their value similar to when comparing batting averages vs home runs; though knowing where it came from can add depth of understanding beyond its absolute value alone.
Special Teams
Evaluation of a team can often come down to its special teams performance. After all, punting when drives stall out or scoring occurs as well as starting each half with a kickoff are all vital parts of game day operations.
Special teams were key factors in the Jets’ 24-10 loss to the Dolphins on Friday night. Undrafted rookie WR/PR Isaiah Williams returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown on the opening possession, setting back the Jets 21-7.
But Miami responded in the second quarter with two touchdown passes from Tua Tagovailoa to Jaylen Waddle for 3-yard scores, as DeVon Achane ran 13-yarder for Miami to give them an 11-7 edge at halftime and to control time of possession by more than 12 minutes.
New York was forced to punt on its next two possessions and, on its third attempt, linebacker Chop Robinson and cornerback Bradley Chubb combined for a sack to force another punt before defensive end Jordan Phillips recovered a fumble at its original 29-yard line, setting up Riley Patterson’s 43-yard field goal attempt and leaving them trailing 24-7 at halftime.
New York initially showed signs of life following halftime on its initial drive of the third quarter, but Chris Banjo’s special teams unit executed an effective fake punt with Malachi Moore taking direct snap and lateraling to Isaiah Davis for 20-yard gain – forcing the Jets to punt again, while keeping Miami ahead by double-digit margin.
As with the special teams, the defense was fantastic as well. Led by Jordyn Brooks with five total tackles and one tackle for loss as well as one sack, one forced fumble, one pass deflection and four quarterback hurries from Chop Robinson (including a fumble recovery and four quarterback hurries), Zach Sieler, Willie Gay Jr and Melifonwu ( both linebackers) as well as Rasul Douglas from cornerback also recorded one or more sacks; allowed just three first downs from New Yorks final four drives and six total.
Time of Possession
Time of Possession doesn’t necessarily correlate directly with wins, but it does indicate how teams manage the game and control the clock. Some of the greatest teams in NFL – like Kansas City Chiefs for instance – boast high time of possession numbers that enable them to generate first downs and points on offense regularly while other teams often find it harder to keep hold of the ball and are forced into punting more often.
Miami took an early advantage by employing its powerful offensive weapons to dominate the line of scrimmage. On their opening drive, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa connected with wide receiver Jaylen Waddle for a 21-yard gain before running back De’Von Achane broke through for 39-yard run that reached Jets 3-yard line. Two plays later, Tagovailoa connected with Waddle again for 3-yard touchdown pass that put Miami up 14-0.
In the second quarter, the Jets finally made their mark when rookie wide receiver Isaiah Williams returned a punt 78 yards for an impressive punt return that brought them within 21-7. But Miami quickly responded with an effective 55-yard drive led by Achane which resulted in Riley Patterson scoring a 43 yard field goal to give Miami an overwhelming 24-7 advantage at halftime.
New York attempted a comeback during the third quarter with a 12-play, 65-yard drive that culminated with Nick Folk’s 31-yard field goal attempt; however, this attempt was stopped short by Dolphins defense as safety Ifeatu Melifonwu recorded a fourth-down sack while cornerback Ethan Bonner picked off Cook at the end zone.
The Jets had one last scoring chance with under a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, but after another three-and-out from Miami’s defense, Patterson converted another 53-yard field goal for Miami to seal their fourth consecutive win and move them to 6-7 on the season – staying one of five teams in terms of rushing yards gained, total offense produced and scoring output.
